The Shared Core provides centralized services needed by investigators in the Charleston Alcohol Research[unreadable] Center (ARC). Since its inception, the Shared Core has been a valuable part of the ARC, achieving each of[unreadable] its goals. Over the years, the system has been refined to better meet the needs of a dynamic research[unreadable] environment.[unreadable] The Shared Core contains the Office of Statistics and Database Management, an expert statistical[unreadable] consulting service. It also houses the Centralized Intake Office, a centralized screening and recruitment[unreadable] service. The Shared Core contracts with specialized medical and pharmacy services, which are needed for[unreadable] clinical trials, and provides standardized training for both basic science and clinical research assistants.[unreadable] By centralizing these services, several important benefits are realized. First, the Shared Core provides[unreadable] needed expertise in specialized areas. Second, it affords a more efficient and standardized research[unreadable] environment, as it prevents the duplication of effort by individual research groups. Third, the Shared Core[unreadable] provides time- and cost-savings for all research studies that utilize the services. Additionally, it oversees[unreadable] contracts with specialty services and advertising that allow each project to receive goods/services at a[unreadable] fraction of the normal purchase price. Finally, the Shared Core system provides a central authority for[unreadable] quality control over provision and utilization of services and ensures that its services meet the needs of the[unreadable] most number of studies. It provides at least two services to each component and pilot project in the ARC,[unreadable] and provides support to other NIAAA-funded studies as well.[unreadable] The Shared Core is a consistent and valued part of the Charleston Alcohol Research Center, providing[unreadable] ARC investigators and other alcohol researchers the support they need to conduct their research efficiently[unreadable] and to meet their research goals.